Guns in Vehicles in Iowa

Last updated November 13, 2017.

Iowa prohibits any person from knowingly carrying or transporting a handgun in a vehicle.1 This prohibition does not apply if the person transports an unloaded handgun inside a closed and fastened container or other secure package that cannot be concealed on the person, or in a cargo or luggage compartment where the handgun cannot be readily accessible to any person in the vehicle or common carrier.2 This prohibition also does not apply to a person with a valid permit to carry, provided his or her conduct is within the limits of that permit.3

Iowa law specifically allows people to carry loaded pistols or revolvers while in a snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle on land not owned or possessed by the carrier, without a permit, if their conduct is otherwise lawful.4

Iowa generally prohibits the possession or carrying of a gun in or on a vehicle on a public highway, unless the firearm is taken down or totally contained in a securely fastened case, and its barrels and attached magazines are unloaded.5